Kaelyn McGinty
Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor Health Sciences (Honours), McMaster University – Class of 2021
Co-op or Internship Experience: N/A
What are your top 2 industries: Healthcare administration, management consulting
What made you pursue an MBA: After spending nearly five years working in healthcare technology and consulting, I realized over time that I was most passionate about strategic problem-solving that combined people, systems and transformative change. While this experience gave me unparalleled exposure to healthcare transformation initiatives, I was a “science kid” by trade and felt I was hitting a ceiling in terms of my business acumen. As a result, I decided to pursue an MBA to deepen my understanding of broader business strategy, leadership, finance and organizational decision-making so I could drive change at a larger scale in the future.
Why did you choose DeGroote: Completing my undergraduate degree at McMaster had a profound and lasting impact on me, both personally and professionally. I found the McMaster community to be extremely collaborative, supportive and academically rigorous. Subsequently, returning to McMaster for my MBA felt like a natural next step, especially considering McMaster’s deep expertise and connection within the healthcare field.
What has been your favourite part about the MBA: My favourite aspect of the MBA experience so far is the program’s emphasis on theoretical application and experiential learning. When I compared to peers at other MBA programs, this is an aspect McMaster by far excels in, and I’m extremely grateful for that. Our second GRIT Week, where we partnered with a non-profit community partner to develop a business strategy, was an especially memorable and impactful experience for me.
What is one quick tip you have for a first-year MBA student: Growth is often uncomfortable. Learning a completely new set of skills, unfamiliar content and concepts, and working with new people will inevitably pose bumps in the road. Lean into and explore that discomfort, it may very well mean it’s an area you need to further develop and not something you should avoid.
What has been your favourite course at DeGroote, and why: My favorite course so far has been Management Consulting with Professor Amir Taherizadeh! We learned so many interdisciplinary skills and concepts that I could actively apply across courses and projects. This course also provided us the opportunity to work on a consulting project with a real industry partner and present our recommendations, which was an invaluable learning experience.
What I wish I knew on Day 1: Try to front load your networking and social engagements as much as possible because first semester will get real busy, real fast!
What is one of your favourite weekend activities: Tending to my veggie garden + hot pilates = a perfect day
Who is your favourite author: Joan Didion
What would be your “walk-on song”: Von Dutch – Charli XCX
Do you have a hidden talent: It’s not very hidden at this point, but … PowerPoint decks!
What is your favourite TV show: VEEP
What is your favourite podcast: CanadaLand
Email: mcgintyk@mcmaster.ca